Shorts 1
by Julian Dimera
Summary: These shorts take place after Here for You and lead up to Away from Here.  Each short is only one scene and usually occurs on a different date starting in August and leading into December.  If you have not read Here for You, you may feel lost.
1. Chapter 1

**1.01: Chad Moves In**  
><em>Wednesday, August 17th, 2011<em>

Will walked over to the door and found Chad on the other side when he opened it. Will smiled at Chad, who was holding a box of his stuff, and pulled him inside. "Why didn't you use the key I gave you earlier?"

"I wanted to knock for the last time as a guest in the apartment. From now on I am a resident." Chad placed the box down as Will shut the front door. Chad then grabbed Will and kissed him.

Will separated from Chad for a moment to ask, "Why are you so corny?" Before Chad could answer, Will pulled Chad into another kiss.

Sonny walked in and saw the two kissing. "I hope this isn't a clue for things to come with you moving in, Chad," Sonny joked. "There is such thing as privacy." Sonny winked at Will and Chad.

Chad stopped kissing Will and turned around to face Sonny. A bit embarrassed he responded, "Don't worry. We definitely believe in privacy."

Sonny walked over to the door. "You have more stuff to bring in?"

Chad nodded his head. "Yeah. It's all piled up in my car. My car is unlocked."

"I'll go ahead and head down then." Sonny disappeared into the hallway.

"Right behind you," Will yelled back, but stopped Chad from going for a moment. "Are you going to be okay with Sonny by yourself?"

Chad looked into Will's eyes and appreciated his concern. "Yeah, it's only going to be two weeks before school. Besides you promised Allie that you would visit her and your dad in Hong Kong before school started. I will be fine." Chad gave Will a reassuring look.

Will smiled. "Okay. Let's move you in, then." Will and Chad walked out the front door and disappeared into the hallway.

* * *

><p><strong>1.02: Caroline's Recuperation<strong>  
><em>Saturday, August 20th, 2011<em>

Bo and Hope arrived at the pub to check in on Caroline. Kimberly came out from the back and greeted her brother and sister-in-law. "Hey, are you two helping out today?"

"Yeah, I thought I would check to see how Caroline is doing. Is she resting?" Hope asked.

"Yeah, she's relaxing upstairs. She's catching up on her 'stories'." Kimberly let out with a smile.

"I'll go check in with her then." Hope headed up the stairs.

Bo made his way to his oldest sister. "So, have you had much business lately?"

Kimberly nodded. "Yeah. It seems everyone missed the food when the pub was closed after Mama had her stroke. Thankfully, she hired some great workers. Gabi has really stepped up and helped out."

"That's good to hear." Bo made his way behind the bar. "If you want, I can help you out at the bar for a few hours."

"That would be great. I will most likely spend most of my time in the kitchen." Kimberly looked around the pub with concern. "I feel bad for only staying for a short while."

"I know that our mother appreciates you coming down to help her as long as you can. Even if it's for a few weeks. You have a life outside of Salem and she understands that you have to be there." Bo smiled at his sister. "Besides, Kayla is coming down for about a month after you leave and other family members have volunteered their time to help out as well. This isn't all on you."

Kimberly took a seat at the bar. "I know. It was just scary seeing her in the hospital. I'm glad she's going to be okay. She is a strong woman."

Bo nodded. "She will be able to walk on her own in no time."

Kimberly looked at her watch. "I guess it's time to open the pub. I'll turn the sign." Kimberly got up and made her way to the front door and flipped the sign to let customers know they were open.

* * *

><p><strong>1.03: Comfortable<strong>  
><em>Monday, August 22nd, 2011<em>

Chad woke up in the bed that Will had bought for the apartment. It was extremely comfortable, but Chad did not sleep well because Will was still in Japan. He got out of bed and stretched. Deciding to take a shower, Chad grabbed a towel and made his way to the bathroom.

Chad noted that the door was open, the bath water was running a bit, and the curtain was open. He looked around and saw no one. He thought nothing of it, closed the door after placing his towel by the sink, and took off his briefs. He started the shower and got in. He turned the hot water a bit more to make the room steamier.

Chad turned his back to the shower head and began to rinse out his hair. He let the water fall all over his head as he ran his hands through his hair and wiped his face. Suddenly the curtain opened and Sonny got in. Sonny freaked out when he saw Chad had taken his shower. "Oh my gosh. What are you doing in here?" Sonny asked as he looked Chad over.

Chad freaked out as well and removed his head from the water. "What are you doing in here? I'm taking a shower."

Sonny pulled his hand up to reveal a bar of soap. "I started the water, but remembered I needed this to take a shower. I didn't even know you were awake, so I ran to my room naked and had to find it to take a shower. It's freaking cold in our apartment."

Chad looked down at Sonny's naked body and realized they were both naked. Sonny did not look so cold to him. He felt extremely uncomfortable. He quickly turned the shower off and got out. Grabbing a towel he began to dry himself. "Well, I'll let you have the shower."

"You just used my towel," Sonny exclaimed as he took the towel from Chad.

"I brought this towel in. What are you talking about?" Chad replied trying to take the towel back while trying not to look at Sonny's naked body.

"You mean that one over there?" Sonny pointed to the towel by the sink causing Chad to stop fighting Sonny for the other one.

Chad realized he had grabbed Sonny's towel by mistake. "I'm sorry. Chad quickly made his way to his towel and covered up. Chad looked up to Sonny as Sonny placed his own towel around his neck. Sonny then placed his hands on his hips. "Could you please cover up?" Chad asked still feeling uneasy.

Sonny looked down at himself and laughed. "Chad, it's just a penis. It's not like you haven't seen it before. I think it kind of looks like Will's, actually."

Chad closed his eyes. "Yeah, you should definitely take the shower. I can wait." Chad headed to the door, but Sonny stopped him.

"Are you really that uncomfortable now? We're all gay here and it doesn't have to mean anything to see another gay guy's dick." Sonny wanted Chad to feel comfortable with himself and remember how he used to joke before he knew he was gay.

Chad looked back at Sonny. "I know, but just so you know, I'm not attracted to you. I'm only attracted to Will. Other guys don't do anything for me. The only naked male body I care to see, besides my own, is Will's."

Sonny opened the door for Chad. "That's what I am saying, Chad. I hope that you don't feel threatened by me or uncomfortable with me. We are friends and that is all. I want you to feel comfortable here. This is your home, too."

Chad was too uncomfortable to get what Sonny was saying to him, so he just nodded his head and left the bathroom. Sonny closed the door and started the water again. He shook his head knowing that it might take a bit more time for Chad to get used to being with a guy. He hoped Will could remain patient for Chad's sake.

* * *

><p><strong>1.04: Jennifer's Fear<strong>  
><em>Monday, August 22nd, 2011<em>

Bo and Roman sat with their mother at a table at the Brady Pub. Roman took his mother's hand after a moment of small talk. "Mother, I wanted to tell you about something that we've held off on for a while now. Colin Murphy is back in town."

Caroline looked down as she remembered how Shawn Sr. responded to Colin when he arrived in Salem the first time. She looked at both Roman and Bo. "You two do remember that Colin is your cousin, right? He's the son of your father's sister, Molly. We should invite him for dinner sometime."

Bo glanced at Roman and then responded to his mother. "Well, I am not sure that is going to happen at the moment. Colin has decided to get help as he has been on an island for years. He's going through a program that will help him reintegrate into society again. I hear he wants to get his medical license back."

Caroline felt bad for Colin. "Well, we should at least visit him, if we can."

"I'm not sure if they'll allow visitors, mother," Roman responded. He turned back to see Jennifer walking in.

Jennifer smiled as she made her way over. "Hey everyone. How is everyone doing?"

"Peachy," Bo responded.

Jennifer gave Bo a serious look. "Hope told me that when you say peachy, you usually mean the opposite. Is something wrong?"

Caroline took Jen's hand. "No, everything is fine. My sons were just telling me that Colin Murphy is back in town." Caroline smiled at Jen.

Jen forced a smile back as she thought about Colin Murphy being back in town. She could not believe that a man she now despised was back in Salem. "Why is he here? I thought he died."

"We all thought he died," Roman replied. "He was on the island that Rafe led them to. He had been living there for years and was actually the one that saved Chad and Will's lives by killing Rafe. In return, we saved him from having to stay on that awful island. Now he's in some program getting help from all those years of being alone on the island."

Jennifer was surprised to hear that. "Melaswen. Abigail told me about that, but did not tell me that Colin saved Chad and Will's lives." Jennifer wanted to know more about Colin's whereabouts, but she was on a tight schedule. "I came here to pick up a few coffees."

Bo stood up and offered his help. Bo went behind the bar and took Jennifer's order. While Jennifer waited, she turned back to Roman and Caroline, who were still talking, and wondered what Colin's return meant for her.

* * *

><p><strong>1.05: Manny's Deal<strong>  
><em>Wednesday, August 24th, 2011<em>

Sonny made his way to the Kiriakis Mansion and rang the doorbell. Henderson, who was surprised to see him there, let him inside and asked if he was here to see his great-uncle. Sonny shook his head and responded, "No, I am actually here to see my father. I wanted to talk to him face to face about something."

Henderson excused himself after telling Sonny he would see if he was around. Sonny took a seat in the living room and waited. It was weird for him to be back in the mansion, but he figured he needed to get over his anger so that his family could be close again.

Sonny stood up, when his father walked into the room and said his name. "Sonny, what did you need to talk to me about?"

Sonny gave his dad a hug and smiled. "I just wanted to talk to you about Manny. Any new information on his case?"

Justin smiled back. "Well, I got Manny out of having to go to prison and I am close to making a deal with the D.A. so we can avoid court."  
>Sonny was pleased to hear that his father was able to keep Manny out of jail. He knew that the Hernandez family had already suffered enough. "So what kind of deal are we talking about here?"<p>

Justin pulled out his phone to remind himself of the deal the D.A. presented to him. He looked back at Sonny to answer. "Well, Manny would have to spend time at Brooktree Mental Hospital to go through a psych evaluation and therapy to help him through the choices he's made because of Rafe's manipulations. They are willing to let him get better outside of prison, so that he can live a productive life."

Sonny was glad that Manny was not taking the fall for Rafe again. "How long would he be there?"

"Well, it depends on what the doctors and therapists there recommend. He will be able to visit his family on holidays and other things, but he will be living in there for probably a year." Justin looked at Sonny as Sonny pulled out his phone. "Arianna and Gabi already know about this. I just need to sell it to Manny. I'm confident he will be okay with this."

"What about Dario? Has anyone told him?" Sonny looked up to his father. Justin shrugged his shoulders. "I should go. I'll call him later. Hopefully he'll answer."

"Well, be careful. And call your mom. She doesn't get to see you enough." Justin gave Sonny a hug.

"I will. Thanks dad." Sonny made his way out of the Kiriakis Mansion and dialed Dario's number. He was not even sure if Dario could pick up his phone. The call went to voicemail, but Sonny decided not to leave one. He remembered the last thing Dario said to him. He really did need to move on.

* * *

><p><strong>1.06: Colin's Solution<strong>  
><em>Saturday, August 27th, 2011<em>

After one of his integration sessions, Colin decided to take a walk outside so that he could have a moment alone. He pulled out his phone and looked around to make sure no one was around. Placing a call, he put the phone to his ear. A voice answered. "It's me. I wanted to check in on Subjects T and J. How are they progressing?"

"Subject J has fully healed and we have to sedate him so that he does not cause us any problems for the time being. He's completely clueless at this point." The man on the other side coughed before continuing, "As for Subject T, he is almost fully healed. He should wake up by the end of the year."

Colin smiled. "That's good to hear. Mother will be very happy to hear that. Make sure you keep Subject J clueless. I'm not sure what to do with him yet."

"Understood, Dr. Murphy. We are still doing tests on variants of the solution."

"That's good. I'll call you later when I have more time. I have discovered a few more things in my research here. I hate having to do this long distance." Colin hung up the phone and looked around again. He decided to head back to the clinic.

* * *

><p><strong>1.07: The Single Life<strong>  
><em>Wednesday, August 31st, 2011<em>

After returning to Salem from visiting his father and sister in Hong Kong, Will decided to help out his great-grandmother Caroline get around the pub and help her with her movement therapy exercises. Will helped Caroline to the couch upstairs and turned on the TV. "Is there anything you want to watch specifically?" he asked turning his face towards her.

"You can leave it there. I love this show." Caroline smiled and patted the couch for Will to take a seat next to her. After Will sat down, she turned away from the TV to talk to Will. "You know, you don't have to stay here all day and take care of me. Your Aunt Kimberly is here and so is your mother." Caroline pulled some money from her pocket and handed it to Will. "Why don't you take this money and take Gabi out? I'm sure she would like that."

Will tried to give the money back. "Great-grandma, there's something you need to know. Gabi and I broke up awhile ago."

Caroline would not take the money back. "What happened? I thought you two were so cute together."

"We decided we were better off as friends, so it was for the best." Will tried to study Caroline to make sure she was not upset with the news. "She's dating T now and they seem to be happy with each other."

Caroline studied Will and he seemed to be okay with that. "Well, if you thought it was for the best and are okay with everything, I guess you had to do what you needed to do. Have you met anyone else?"

Will thought about Chad and figured he should not go there yet. "Nope. I think I really need to focus on school and enjoy the single life for awhile."

Caroline patted Will on his hand. "That is a good idea, but never close your eyes to possibilities. There are plenty of women out there waiting to meet a nice and sweet young man like yourself." Caroline winked and turned her attention back to the TV. Will watched his great-grandmother for a bit before turning his attention to the TV as well.

* * *

><p><strong>1.08: Family Business<strong>  
><em>Monday, September 5th, 2011<em>

Chad walked into the Dimera Mansion to check in with his father. He found Stefano sitting at the desk in the living room. "Father, I just finished my first day of classes for the semester."

Stefano smiled and got up to greet his son. "Chad, how was it? Did you make a good first impression on your new teachers?" Stefano hugged Chad and patted him on the back.

"Well, I have a lot of the same teachers as last year in my business classes, but the others seem to be good." Chad smiled and lightly tapped Stefano's arms. "When I graduate with my business degree, I'll probably get my MBA and work for you again full time."

Stefano began to feel a bit uncomfortable with Chad working for him. "You don't have to work for the family if you would rather do something else."

Chad gave his father a questioning look. "Where is this coming from? Why wouldn't I work for you? It's our family business. Isn't that what you want for me?"

Stefano put up his hands to his face. "Now, Chad, I do not mean to offend you, but I am concerned what might happen to you if you worked for me and it came out that you were gay. You might not fit in the family business."

"Because of my relationship with Will?" Chad knew his father only wanted to protect him, but he hated that his relationship with Will could get in the way of working for his father.

"Unfortunately, there are people who would look down on you and not take you serious because of your relationship with Will. I didn't set those rules, honestly I am not sure who did." Stefano placed his hand on Chad's shoulder. "Look, son. You can be successful outside of the family business just like your sister, Lexie."

"I know, father, but I want to work with you and EJ. I won't give my family up." Chad put his hands in his pocket as he continued, "I don't care what others think about me, but I am going to prove to them that even though I am dating Will, I can be a good businessman in our family business."

"Well, if that's what you want to do, I will try my best not to stop you." Stefano knew he could not let Chad take the risk, but he still had at least three more years until that happened. "Just take your time in school and enjoy life for now."

* * *

><p><strong>1.09: Organic Chemistry<strong>  
><em>Tuesday, September 6th, 2011<em>

Sonny walked into his Organic Chemistry class and took a seat towards the front. He pulled out a notebook full of paper and a pen to write with. He picked up his backpack to look for his text book. Finding it he placed the book next to his notebook.

After getting comfortable in his chair, Sonny looked up and noticed an Asian guy walk in. Sonny looked into his eyes, but the other guy quickly looked away once they made eye contact. Sonny thought nothing of it and looked over to the professor, who had just started class by introducing herself.

The professor introduced what the students should expect from the class and what she expected from them. Soon they were taking notes for the class. Sonny heard something fall behind him, so he glanced back to see what fell. A girl had dropped her pen by accident. Sonny watched as she picked it up, and then noticed the same Asian guy staring at him. Sonny decided to smile and lift his head to the guy to acknowledge him. The guy looked away. Sonny decided to let it go. He turned his head to focus on what the professor was saying for the rest of the class.

* * *

><p><strong>1.10: Family History<strong>  
><em>Thursday, September 15th, 2011<em>

Chad walked out of class wondering if he should head back to the apartment to grab lunch, since Will could not meet him in the cafeteria. Heading towards his car, he ran into his brother, EJ. "What are you doing out here?"

"I had a meeting with the president of the university and just got out. Are you headed to the apartment?" EJ asked as he looked at his watch.

"Yeah, I was going to grab a bite to eat. I have a couple of hours before my next class." Chad looked out at the parking lot to look for his car.

EJ spotted his car. "I'm parked right there. If you want we could grab a bite to eat at Chez Rouge or something."

Chad knew EJ liked to enjoy the finer things in life, but he scratched his head. "Chez Rouge for lunch? Let's just go to the Cheatin' Heart. Adrienne makes some good BBQ wings."

EJ gave Chad a questioning look. "You want barbeque wings for lunch?" Chad nodded his head. EJ scratched the back of his head wishing Chad wanted something else, but he caved. "Okay, we can go to the Cheatin' Heart if that's what you want."

Chad got in EJ's car and they made their way to the Cheatin' Heart. After finding a table to sit at, EJ looked the place over and appreciated that it was not too busy at the moment. Chad noticed that EJ seemed a bit out of his element. "So do you know what you're going to get?"

EJ gave Chad a serious look. "Well, you said the wings here were the best, so since you recommended those, that is what I will eat."

Chad shook his head at his brother. "I'm surprised Sami hasn't cultured you in American Food."

"Oh, trust me, Samantha has cultured me in American Cuisine." EJ smiled. "Let's see, she's brought food from the pub of course, and then Buddy's Burger Barn – that was interesting. I guess you can't go wrong with Mexican at Su Casa and then there was Chinese at Pu Pang Palace."

Chad gave EJ a weird look. "I don't even think I have been to those places. I'm impressed." EJ nodded his head in gratitude as Adrienne made her way over to take their order. After she took their order, she walked away to prepare their food.

Chad began to think about what his father said to him about the family business and remembered the first time his father mentioned that their family had dark secrets. EJ noticed that Chad was somewhere else mentally. "What are you thinking about?"

"Family secrets," Chad admitted. "I've been a Dimera for almost a year and I feel like there's so much more I don't know about the family."

"Well, Chad, there are a lot of things I still do not know. I just know that there are things father does not like to talk about." EJ got his napkin out as Adrienne brought their drinks over. He unfolded it onto his lap.

After Adrienne left again, Chad leaned in closer to his brother. "What kind of things does he not like to talk about?"

EJ looked up as he thought about the things Stefano did not like discussing. "Well, his brothers and sisters are usually off limits. I only know about a few of them – most are dead. Let's see, he hates talking about his misadventures with Marlena and my mother. He also hates talking about our cousin Andre. He's the one that I told you about – the one that owned Echelon and the island you guys were on this summer. He pretended to be our brother, Tony."

Chad remembered hearing Andre's name, but did not know much about him except he had surgery to look like Tony. "What did Andre do? Why would he want to look like Tony?"

EJ questioned whether this was the place to have this conversation. The place was rather empty and since the music played rather loudly throughout the place, he decided he would share what he knew about Andre. "I really don't know much about Andre's surgery, but I do know it happened when Andre came to Salem to work for our father. It had something to do with Andre wanting to be the perfect soldier for father. I don't think he had a good relationship with his parents and a part of him wanted to be accepted by someone. Andre chose our father."

Chad scratched his head. "What about Tony? I mean, someone had to notice there were two guys walking around with the same face, right? Father was okay with this?"

EJ sat back in his chair for a moment and then leaned back in. "Well, from what I understand, Tony and father were not on the same page concerning ethics. This was something Tony talked to me about before he died a while back. I believe Tony was held hostage, so Andre could parade around as Tony."

Chad was shocked that Stefano allowed Andre to lock Tony away. "Father was okay with this? I can't believe it."

"Well, technically, Tony is not our blood brother. He was a product of an affair his mother had with the gardener or something. I can't remember." EJ thought about when he first met Tony. "To be honest that's not the worse thing father has done to Tony though. He exiled Tony to live on an island for twenty-two years, while Andre continued to pretend to be him."

Chad shook his head. "So father exiled Tony because they weren't on the same page and Tony disappointed him?" EJ nodded his head. "So when did he get that island and what was the purpose of it?"

"Andre wanted revenge on his enemies. He brainwashed Marlena and made her believe she was doing the killings. He used this drug to make the doctors believe they were dead, when in reality they were still alive. They were transported to the island of Melaswen, an island he bought and designed to look like Salem." EJ shook his head at all the things Andre did. "Fortunately, everyone survived and returned to Salem. Unfortunately, Andre had faked his death again and returned to hurt those that betrayed him."

"Why was he so set on doing all of this? Why was he filled with so much hate?" Chad did not understand how he could do so much when he barely knew the people he sought to hurt.

"Well, like I mentioned before, he wanted to prove to our father that he could be the perfect soldier. It was his motive to please someone he looked up to, but in the end he went too far to receive respect and love. He killed our brother Benjy and held Lexie hostage for a while. Unfortunately, we all struggle in this family, but I think Andre might have actually been too far gone to be saved. In the end, he was all alone."

Chad looked down for a bit at how depressing Andre's life must have been. He really struggled with how a person could turn out like that. He wondered what his childhood must have been like if he felt no one ever believed in him or respected him. Even with his brother explaining what he knew about Andre, Chad wondered what else he did not know. Chad looked up and spotted Adrienne heading over with their food.

After Adrienne put their food on the table and left, EJ watched as his brother remained silent and began to eat. EJ could not help but notice that Andre's life story had turned the mood into a depressing one. "You know that won't happen to you, right?" EJ grabbed a fork and a knife to dig in.

Chad looked up to respond and immediately noticed that EJ was attempting to eat wings with utensils. Quickly grabbing the knife and fork from EJ's hands, he gave his brother a funny look. "You don't need those to eat wings. You have your hands."

EJ gave Chad a strange look before smiling. "I know. I just wanted to see if you really believed I was that un-American. My name is Elvis for god's sake. Can't get more American than that." EJ winked at Chad making him smile. "So tell me how school is going?" EJ asked hoping to change the topic and continue the now lightened mood. Chad answered EJ's questions as they continued to eat.

* * *

><p><strong>1.11: Rumor Has It<strong>  
><em>Tuesday, September 27th, 2011<em>

Chad got a text from Will to go ahead and grab food and a table as Will was running late on meeting Chad in the cafeteria. Grabbing a tray with a few slices of pizza, Chad found an empty table where he and Will could have lunch together.

As he took a seat, he noticed that someone said his name in conversation at a nearby table. He tilted his head to the side a bit to see if he could hear what the other table was taking about. "You know that Chad lives with Will Horton? I hear that they are more than friends," claimed one voice.

Another voice at the table responded, "Well it would make sense since both of them live with Sonny Kiriakis. Chad and Will probably are dating."

Chad looked back at his food and his appetite was now gone. He pulled out his phone and sent Will a text: "Will, I am not feeling too well. I think I should just head back to our place to see if I can feel better before my next class." After sending the text, Chad quietly stood up and threw his food in the trash.

As he was heading out of the cafeteria, Chad spotted Will, who was reading Chad's text. Chad snuck out and was able to avoid Will as he left the building. He got a text from Will that said: "Are you still here? I can just go back to our place with you and eat there. Maybe I can make you feel better."

Chad got in his car and responded: "I already left a while ago. Maybe you could have lunch with someone else in there. Sonny could be in there. Don't worry about me." Chad drove off feeling a bit guilty for lying to Will. He knew he had to do something to stop people from spreading those rumors about him and Will even if they were true.

* * *

><p><strong>1.12: Tossing and Turning<strong>  
><em>Wednesday, September 28th, 2011<em>

Will and Chad were fast asleep, but Chad's mumbling and tossing around woke up Will. Will thought Chad was awake and sat up in bed. "What did you say?" Chad continued to moan and mumble in his sleep. Will looked closer and noticed that Chad was still asleep. It appeared that Chad was having a nightmare, but Will could not really understand what Chad was saying.

Will turned on the lamp next to his side of the bed, but it did not wake Chad from his dream. Will could see pain in Chad's face and began to worry. He began to shake Chad to wake him up. "Chad, wake up, you're having a nightmare."

Chad immediately woke up and gasped. He turned his head to see Will as tears fell down Chad's face. "You're okay."

Will wiped Chad's face. "Yeah, everything's okay Chad. I think you were having a nightmare. What were you dreaming about?"

Chad looked away from Will as he tried to think what he was dreaming about. Looking back at Will, he answered, "I really don't remember. I just know that I want to hold you." Will turned to turn off the lamp, but Chad did not want to let go. "Where are you going?"

Will could see fear in Chad's eyes still. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm just turning off the lights, so we can go back to sleep." Will kissed Chad and turned off the lamp. He moved in closer so Chad could hold him. "Everything's okay, Chad. It was just a dream."

Chad pulled Will closer to him and kissed his neck. "Sorry, I woke you up. Just go back to sleep." Will quickly fell back to sleep, but Chad kept his eyes open as he thought about the nightmare he just had. He did not want to let Will go.

* * *

><p><strong>1.13: Sounds of the Guitar<strong>  
><em>Thursday, September 29th, 2011<em>

Dario and the other men sat around on the boat during their down time. One of the guys pulled out their guitar and handed it to Dario. "You should play some of the songs you played before. You are very good."

"Thanks." Dario took the guitar and began to play one of the first songs he learned in English. As he played and sang, he focused on what he was doing to make sure he was playing the song correctly. Eventually, he got so lost in the song that he began to think about life in Salem and how he missed it. He and the other fishermen had fun in their own way, but he really did not enjoy having to sleep and live on a boat. He thought about his mother and sisters. He wondered how they were doing. He hoped that his mother was feeling better and living a good life with Arianna in her house. He wondered what happened with Manny. He wondered how Sonny was doing in school.

He thought about Sonny most of the time while he was on the ship. Even though he had decided that he and Sonny could not work out, he still thought about the kiss they shared at the airport. As he finished the song, he smiled as he thought about that kiss. The guys applauded as he finished the song and asked him to play another. Dario really missed Sonny.

* * *

><p><strong>1.14: Phone Call<strong>  
><em>Saturday, October 1st, 2011<em>

At Gabi's apartment, Gabi and T were relaxing on the couch watching TV. When the commercials came on, T turned to Gabi. "Are we going to Chad and Will's party tonight? I think it could be fun."

Gabi kept her attention on the TV screen as she answered, "I don't know about going tonight. Their apartment is nice and bigger than mine, but I thought that we could order in and watch some movies."

T looked at Gabi for a moment before responding. He noticed that any time Chad or Will invited them to hang out, Gabi always made an excuse not to go or made other plans to avoid them. "Gabi, I don't mind hanging out here and ordering in, but is there something I need to know about our friendship with Chad and Will?"

Gabi finally turned her attention away from the television to her boyfriend. "Tad, I just need a break from them. That's all. After what happened this summer, I can't stop thinking about what my brothers did." She did not want to tell T that Will and Chad being together bugged her as well. "It's just too much right now."

"Well, you still work for Will's great-grandmother. Doesn't that affect you, too?" T asked wondering if there was more to her not wanting to hang out with Chad and Will.

Gabi got up to answer T. She was more frustrated this time when she answered. "Look, it's easier working at the pub right now because Caroline still has no clue what happened over the summer. I don't have to talk about Will and Chad. I don't have to talk about my brother. Everyone pretty much leaves me alone and lets me do my job."

T watched as Gabi headed to her room. "Where are you going? I did not mean to start a fight."

Gabi turned to answer T. "Well, it's obvious you don't want to stay in tonight. Let's catch a movie in Salem Place. I'll let you pick the movie. I'll get ready while you decide." Gabi disappeared into her bedroom.

T sighed and leaned back on the couch wishing that Gabi could get over what happened over the summer. He shook it off and decided to check movie times on his phone. As he was looking through the list of movies, his cell began to ring. He quickly picked it up without looking to see who called. "Hello?" he answered.

"Hey T. It's me, Kinsey," the voice on the other side stated. "Are you free to talk?"

T could not believe that Kinsey was on the other side of the phone. He had not talked to her since the debacle with Gabi over the summer. "Where have you been? You disappeared on me when you pulled that stunt on Gabi. Couldn't handle the heat?"

"Calm down, T. My family and I moved to another state so my dad could get a new job. I really did not want to make things all depressing with me leaving. So what's new with you? Did Gabi ever forgive you?"

"I did nothing wrong, but yeah, she forgave me." T was frustrated with Kinsey, but figured she must feel really lonely if she was calling him. "Things are a bit different here. Gabi and I are dating and going to Salem U."

Kinsey was intrigued by the idea of Gabi and T dating each other. "Wow, I did not see that one coming. So I guess Will and Gabi never got back together? To think, they were named Salem High's most stable couple. I can't remember who one most romantic."

"Well, I guess high school relationships aren't cracked up to what they're supposed to be, besides, Chad and Will are together now…" T froze as he realized he made a mistake in revealing the fact that Chad and Will were gay.

"What did you say? Really?" Kinsey quickly spouted off on the other side. "I knew there was something off about Will, but I never realized it was that he's gay. Wow… Chad and Will. That's crazy."

T began to freak out. "You can't tell anyone. I promised I wouldn't say anything. Tell no one."

"Chill, T. Chill… that would so be their couple name if they were famous." Kinsey had clearly become sidetracked.

"Kinsey, promise me!" T said rather annoyed.

"I won't say a word." Kinsey continued after a fake yawn, "Look, it's been fun talking to you. Maybe one day we will see each other again. My life is kind of boring and different now. Oh, and best of luck to you and Gabi. You might need it."

Before T could say anything, Kinsey hung up. T took a seat on the couch again wondering what Kinsey meant by needing luck.


	2. Chapter 2

**1.15: Straight Party**  
><em>Saturday, October 1st, 2011<em>

The party was a success as quite a few college students turned out for the party. People were snacking, playing video games, dancing, or just mingling as they watched the others play video games. Will spotted Sonny walking out of his bedroom and walked over to him. "There you are. I wondered where you disappeared to." Will looked around for a moment. "This is quite the turnout considering Chad planned this all last minute." Sonny shook his head in agreement as Will continued, "I thought you were inviting someone."

Sonny shrugged his shoulders. "I did, but he said he couldn't come. I think he's kind of shy as he's from Canada."

"That's cool. Maybe he'll come next time we throw a party." Will wondered if Sonny had any interest in the guy, but decided not to push the topic. Will turned around and noticed that Chad had finished playing and started talking to these two attractive girls. Will did not know who they were, but he had seen Chad with them before.

Sonny noticed that Will kept staring at Chad and the two girls. "Who are they?"

Will grabbed his neck as he answered, "I'm not sure. They might be in one of Chad's classes. He's never really introduced them to me." Will decided not to dwell on it and have fun. Putting his full attention on Sonny, he asked, "Do you want something to drink?"

"Sure, grab me a sprite."

Will walked over to the drinks and grabbed a bottle of water and a can of sprite. He glanced over at Chad and noticed that the girls could not keep their hands off of Chad. He wanted to say something, but figured he would make a scene if he said something when everyone was there. He also questioned whether his jealousy was justified. He figured trusting Chad was more important. He smiled when he saw Chad move on to talk to someone else.

The party was a success and almost everyone had left. The two girls were the only ones who were still around. Will and Sonny began to clean, but when Will heard one of the girls ask Chad if they could get a private tour, Will decided it was time to introduce himself. He walked over to them and put his hand out as he announced himself. "I'm Will. I live here with Chad and so does Sonny." Will pointed to Sonny as Sonny waved at them.

Chad noticed that there was something off with the way Will introduced himself, but figured he should have introduced them to Will awhile back. "Sorry, I should have introduced you to my roommates. "Will and Sonny, this is Michelle and Beth. They're in my Comm. III class."

Michelle and Beth both smiled as they shook Will's and Sonny's hands. Michelle looked the place over and then back to Chad. "Didn't you say this is a two bedroom apartment. Where does everyone sleep?"

"Well, my room is back there," Sonny pointed behind him.

Chad pointed to Will and Sonny as he stepped in. "And they're together – Will shares a room with him. I have my own room," Chad shared. He did not want Will to know that he planned this party to show the rest of the school that he was straight, but knew Will would ask questions now. He gave Will a look to go with it.

Will felt hurt that Chad would say something like that and realized that Chad was overcompensating on not letting anyone know he was gay. He decided he would not make a scene about it. "Yeah, he's right."

Sonny felt bad for Will and wondered why he went with it. Sonny smiled at the girls. "You two want a tour?"

Chad freaked out because he knew there were pictures of Will in their bedroom. He did not want Michelle or Beth to go in there. "Well, actually it's kind of getting late. I have to do something in the morning, but we also have to clean this place up."

"We can help you guys," Beth said as she rested her hand on Chad's arm.

Chad and Will glanced at each other as Will responded for Chad. "We have a rule that guests don't have to worry about setup or cleaning afterwards. You two don't have to worry about us. I know we're guys, but we're really good at cleaning this place out."

The girls figured the guys could take care of cleaning and decided to leave. Both made sure to give Chad long hugs as they told him they hoped to hang out with him soon. After they were gone, Chad turned to Will to apologize, but Will stopped him. "I'll check the bathroom to see if there are any messes there," Will said as he walked away trying to ignore what just happened.

* * *

><p><strong>1.16: Boys to Men<strong>  
><em>Sunday, October 16th, 2011<em>

Will and Chad were doing homework in their bedroom as they normally did together. Will also played music while they studied, which was also normal. The song selection, however, was not normal. As much as Will was happy that he and Chad were together, he sometimes wondered if he and Chad would ever make love. He and Chad had not talked about it in awhile and after what Chad pulled at the party at the beginning of the month, Will figured he needed to come up with a creative way to let Chad know what was on his mind. He figured if he brought it up to him by just talking about it, Chad would feel pressured and then fight about it.

Looking through his playlist on his computer, Will looked for a specific song to play. After finding it, he made sure he put it in his queue so it would play when the current song was over. He glanced at Chad for a second and saw that Chad, who laid on their bed, was focused on his homework. Boyz II Men's "I'll Make Love to You" began to play and Will suddenly got nervous as he feared his plan would backfire. He tried to pretend he was focused on his homework as the song played, but he could not help but glance at Chad to see if he could catch Chad's reaction to the song. Every time he looked, Chad still seemed focused on his homework.

Chad heard the song and wondered why Will decided to change the song selection. He did not remember this song being on the study playlist. He looked up at Will, who sat at the desk, and noticed that Will seemed focused on his homework. As he listened to the song he wondered if he and Will were ready to make love. Believing he was not prepared, he wondered if Will would be able to stay happy with him if they did not have sex. "Hey, I could use a break from studying," Chad said as he closed his book. "You?"

Will lit up a bit, but did not want to show it too much. "Yeah," he responded as he put his notebook on the desk. "What do you want to do?"

Chad got off the bed and walked over to Will as the song continued to play. "You know something I realized just now by hearing that song?"

Will wondered if he got the message across to Chad. He wondered if Chad wanted to talk about having sex. "What's that?" he asked with a smile.

"You love all types of music – Pop, R&B, Rock, Indie, Jazz, you name it," Chad answered as he grabbed Will's hand to dance with him. "Have you ever thought of majoring in Music Composition or Production? I think you might have a good ear for all genres of music. You might surprise yourself."

The topic really threw Will off. Even though he wanted to talk about sex, Will could not help but wonder if Chad was right. He had no idea what he wanted to do, but Chad made him realize he could try music production as a major. "You really think so?"

"Of course. If you want to do that, I give you my full support." Chad really liked seeing Will smile. He put his fingers on Will's lips and then kissed him.

Even though Will's plan failed, Will could not help thinking how sweet Chad could be. Chad's sweetness always surpassed the times when Chad's shame of their relationship got the better of him. Will looked into Chad's eyes and figured he could wait as long as Chad needed because he was worth it.

* * *

><p><strong>1.17: Declaration<strong>  
><em>Friday, October 21st, 2011<em>

Will arrived at the Dimera Mansion to talk to his mother. After being let in, he found his mother talking to EJ in the living room. "Hey mom. EJ."

Sami turned around to face Will. "Will, what are you doing here? No plans with Chad tonight?"

"Well, we have plans later. He's meeting with some classmates right now as they have a group project to work on." Will walked over to give Sami a hug. "I've got good news." Sami and EJ waited in anticipation as they wanted to hear the good news. "I declared a major today. I've been meeting with my advisor this whole week to make sure I did everything right and that I was making the right decision. I…"

As Will continued to talk, EJ looked over at Sami and sensed she wanted to ask Will what he decided to major in. Realizing that she did not want to cut in on Will's rambling about it, he decided to ask for her. "What are you majoring in?"

Will stopped talking realizing he was rambling so that Sami would understand he put a lot of thought into this decision. "I'm majoring in Music Production. I'll have to take a lot of major classes next semester to play catch up."

Sami was happy for Will, but she wondered why he chose to go this direction. "I'm happy for you, but do you have any history with music?"

"Well, yeah. When I lived with Uncle Austin and Aunt Carrie, Uncle Austin showed me a few things on the piano. He taught me a little music theory and how to sight read piano music." Will shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Maybe I am in way over my head and I should keep looking for what I should do with my life."

Sami felt guilty for making Will second guess himself. "Will, obviously you picked this major because you saw yourself doing something in that field. Do what you want to do. Not what you think others think you should do. What exactly do you want to do with music?"

Will looked away from Sami and EJ as he answered, "I don't know. I guess I would like to find new artists and help them make it into the music business. Maybe start out local and stuff like that. Kind of like a manager, but more than that. I don't know. I guess the possibilities are endless, but I know that this is the first time I've felt excited about school."

EJ and Sami smiled. "I think you are going to do great. If you need any help with money or backing let me know," EJ shared.

"Thanks for the offer EJ. I already talked to my dad about it and he offered his help," Will replied.

"You talked to Lucas about this?" Sami asked a bit surprised that Will ran it by Lucas first. "What did he say?" she asked trying to not make it about her feelings.

"He was cool with it. Told me to talk to Uncle Austin." Will looked at his phone to see what time it was. "So that's my big news." Will suddenly felt a bit awkward about leaving.

"I know your father is helping, but if you need anything please let me know." Realizing that Will wanted to leave EJ continued, "Well, Sami and I have to get the kids ready for dinner. You are welcome to stay, but we understand if you have plans with friends."

"Thanks, but I am supposed to help Sonny with dinner tonight," Will replied and then turned to Sami. "I'll call you later mom. Hope you two have a good night." Will turned around after Sami and EJ said goodbye and walked out the mansion.

* * *

><p><strong>1.18: Halloween<strong>  
><em>Saturday, October 29th, 2011<em>

In costumes, Chad and Will were on their way to a Salem U Halloween Party, when they stopped at a red light. As the music played on the radio, Chad looked over at Will and could not help but find Will attractive in his sexy sailor costume. "You are looking too hot right now. It's going to be a struggle staying away from you tonight."

Will smiled at Chad as he responded, "Well, I never said you had to stay away. That's your decision." Will looked Chad over and thought Chad pulled Peter Pan off well. "You look really good in green."

Chad felt a bit awkward about their situation. "I know this is hard on you, but we agreed we'd go together and then split once we walked in. You know people were talking about us in the past. I'm not ready for them to know for sure yet." Chad paused for a moment as he kept his eyes on the road when the light turned green. "Are you going to get jealous tonight?"

Will looked away from Chad and did not want to talk about their set plans for the night. He needed a distraction as he did not want to get into a fight with Chad and ruin their night. Suddenly one of his new favorite songs came on. It was Bruno Mars' "It Will Rain". He turned the radio up and started to sing.

Chad glanced at Will and wondered if Will turned the radio up so they would not have to talk about not hanging out at the party tonight. He tried to turn down the radio as he asked Will, "Are you going to ignore me now?"

Will stopped Chad from turning the volume down. "I'm not ignoring you. I just really like this song."

Chad watched as Will started singing again. "Isn't this the song from that new twilight movie? I didn't know you were into twilight?

Will shook his head. "I'm not. That's Sonny. He's the one dressed as Taylor Lautner's character. He's really into werewolves apparently. I just like this song, so can I just enjoy it before I have probably the worse night of my life."

Chad sighed and left Will alone the rest of the drive over to the party. When they arrived, Chad turned off the car and turned to Will. "I'm sorry it has to be this way."

Will stopped Chad from saying anymore. "Look, I'm sorry for making you feel bad. I just wish we could hang out and not have others suspect. I know you're not ready and a part of me is not ready either, but sometimes I feel we are being paranoid."

Chad grabbed Will's hand. "How about a kiss before we go in there? We can have our own Halloween party at our apartment after this party. Watch scary movies as we cuddle on the couch. What do you say?"

Will smiled. "Fine." Will moved closer to Chad so they could kiss, but he noticed Chad needed to look around to make sure no one saw. Even though that annoyed Will, he let it slide. They kissed for a quick second and got out of the car. They went into the party through different doors.

* * *

><p><strong>1.19: New Roommates<strong>  
><em>Wednesday, November 9th, 2011<em>

Gabi finished cleaning her apartment when she heard a knock on the door. She smiled as she answered the door knowing who would be on the other side. Once she saw Arianna, she looked around. "Ari! Where's Mama?"

"She's still in the car. I wanted to make sure you were ready before I brought her up." Arianna look the place over. "You really cleaned. She will be pleased."

Gabi laughed. "Yeah, we both know how Mama likes everything to be clean and in order. It will be interesting to see if it stays that way with you and Mama moving in while I'm finishing my first semester."

"You won't have to worry about that. I will be here to help with all of that," Arianna replied. "The problem will come when Mama wants to help out. I'll have to make sure she doesn't overdo it."

"Yeah, she can be really stubborn at times." Gabi grabbed her keys and phone. "We should go get her and bring all the luggage inside."

Arianna agreed. "I can't believe I'm in Salem again. Can't believe Mama is living here now, too." Arianna led Gabi to the car to move their mother and everything else in.

* * *

><p><strong>1.20: Happy Birthday<strong>  
><em>Wednesday, November 16th, 2011<em>

After seeing a drive-in movie, where Will and Chad were able to cuddle in public because they were alone in Chad's car, Chad drove Will back to their apartment. It was Will's birthday, and since it was in the middle of the week, Will told Chad he wanted to do something small and private. Will turned to Chad, who was driving back. "I have to say I really enjoyed today. You really did make my birthday special. I can't believe you helped Sonny make dinner earlier. It was good."

Chad smiled and glanced at Will, but made sure he kept an eye on the road. "I'm glad you liked it. I admit though, most of that was Sonny. He wanted to be a part of your birthday celebration."

Will looked down for a moment. "Not going to lie, I'm sad that it's over. I have to go back to thinking school now."

Chad took Will's hand. "It's not over yet. I still have a surprise for you in the bedroom."

Will immediately perked up, squeezed Chad's hand, and demanded, "Tell me what the surprise is." He could not help laughing while he waited in suspense.

Chad began to laugh as they pulled into the parking lot. "You'll have to wait and see."

Chad and Will made it up to the apartment and noticed the lights were out. They figured Sonny had already gone to bed. Sneaking back to their room, Will and Chad put most of their things away. Chad opened up a drawer and pulled out massage oil. He turned to Will with a smile. "Take off your clothes."

Will gave a cautious smile. "All of them? What are we about to do?"

"I'm giving you a full body massage. You can keep your underwear on, but everything else must go." Chad headed towards the door. I'm going to wash my hands while you get ready. Just lay on the bed."

Will watched as Chad left to head to the bathroom. His heart was beating so much faster now as he wondered where the massage would lead. As he started undressing he realized it was not fair to him or Chad to expect them to have sex tonight. They still had not discussed it. He did not want to feel let down and he did not want to put that expectation on Chad if he had no plan to follow through. Will's excitement suddenly turned into nervousness. He wondered if he could handle Chad touching his bare body without wanting more. Will grabbed a big towel and placed it on the bed. He laid on top of it on his front side.

Chad walked into the room and found Will on the bed. Chad took off his shirt and pants so that he could get more comfortable as well. He straddled Will's back and told Will to relax. He grabbed a small remote and put on some soft music. After placing the remote down, he poured massage oil onto his hands and began to rub them together. "You ready for this?"

Will nodded his head and rested his head on his arms. "I know you give good back massages, but have you ever given a full body massage?"

Chad rubbed Will's shoulders as he answered, "No, you're my first. Are you nervous?" Chad noticed that Will's body was tense. "You're not relaxing Will. Why are you fighting me on this massage? Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"Sorry. I'm not trying to fight the massage and no, I'm not nervous that this is your first time. Just keep doing what you're doing." Will closed his eyes and tried to enjoy the massage for what it was – just a massage. The music helped Will fight his nerves for the most part as Chad's hands explored Will's back.

Chad moved his hands to Will's lower back. He felt tension and began to massage the area even harder. Chad's focus slipped when he heard Will moan. Chad smiled and asked, "That feel good?"

Will kept his eyes closed and smiled. "Yeah. If you go a bit lower I think you might get the spot." Will hoped Chad did not get that implication that he wanted Chad to take off his underwear. They had seen each other naked, but they had never been this close in the past.

Chad moved lower and pulled Will's briefs lower so he could move to the tension there. "Is that it?"

Relieved that Chad was still focused on massaging him, Will relaxed more and nodded his head. "Yeah. It's feeling so much better." Will realized he was not ready to have sex with Chad either. Not like this.

Chad continued to massage Will's back and then moved to his legs. After he was done massaging Will's legs, he spoke. "Turn around. It's time for the other side."

Will, who had quietly enjoyed the massage, suddenly got nervous. "I don't know if that's a good idea."

Chad got off Will and sat on one side of the bed. "Why not? I told you I was giving you a full body massage. I have to do the front." Chad tried to make Will turn his body, but Will seemed to fight it. "Look Will, we're together. I'm not going to get uncomfortable if I turned you on while rubbing your back. It would actually make me feel good about myself."

Will knew Chad was right, but a part of him feared his ability to control his want to make love to Chad even if he knew tonight was not the right night. Will slowly turned around and laid straight on his back. He turned to Chad and noticed Chad smiling. "Chad, you don't have to do this if you're not ready."

Chad looked at Will and kissed him. "I'm only giving you a massage." Chad then realized that Will just told him he wanted to have sex – or at least he thought so. "Oh. I'm sorry." Chad stood up and realized he did not think thoroughly about how he made Will horny. "I'm an idiot. Here I am trying to make you feel good, but I did not think I would make you feel that good. Maybe this wasn't a good idea."

Will stood up and grabbed a towel. "Not your fault. It was really thoughtful and you really rubbed the stress out. This was a great birthday."

"But I can't even close the deal." Chad took Will's hand and looked into his eyes. "I want to, I promise you, but not tonight."

Will did not know what to say, but he knew that he feared what he felt. He questioned if Chad really wanted to be with him sexually. He knew he had to tell Chad that he did not want to have sex either. His thoughts were interrupted when he and Chad began to hear moaning coming from Sonny's room.

Chad looked over to the wall that separated their bedroom from Sonny's bedroom. "What is that?" They then heard someone scream Sonny's name out. "Is that what I think it is?"

Will nodded his head and then looked down. "I think Sonny and his new guy just consummated their relationship." Will stood up to head to the door because he felt extremely uncomfortable.

"Already?" Chad questioned. He could not believe that Sonny was having sex in the next room. "How long have they been dating? It's only been…"

"A month." Will finished Chad's sentence as he looked into Chad's eyes. Will looked away quickly as he could not help but feel jealous of Sonny and his boyfriend. Chad looked into Will's eyes and could tell it bothered Will. "I'm going to take a cold shower and then head back in to sleep. Tonight has kind of worn me out." Will realized that he made it sound like he had an awful time on his birthday. He tried to cover, "You planned a great night, Chad. Thanks." Will smiled and left the room.

Chad sat there knowing he hadn't thought through his plans for Will's birthday. He could not believe he gave Will blue balls and wished he had decided to opt out on the massage. Once again he had let Will down. He wondered how many times Will would forgive him. He wondered how long it would be until Will gave up on him.

Suddenly the door opened. Will walked over to Chad and gave him a longing kiss. After separating from Chad, Will grabbed Chad's hands. "I mean it, Chad. I had a good time and thank you for everything. There's no pressure here. I was not ready tonight either. I love you."

Chad smiled and felt better. "I love you, too." Chad gave Will another kiss. "I'll clean up in here so we can go to bed." Will left the room again to take a shower.

* * *

><p><strong>1.21: Baggage<strong>  
><em>Monday, November 28th, 2011<em>

Arianna headed to the post office in the Horton Square to deliver a package to Dario. When she finally made it to the Horton Square, she ran into Sami, whom she tried to avoid since moving back to Salem with her mother. "Sami. Did not expect to run into you."

Sami was surprised to see Arianna in Salem. "I had no idea that you were in town. Visiting Gabi?"

"Actually, my mother and I moved here earlier this month. She wanted to be close to the family during the holidays." Arianna smiled hoping to keep the conversation short. "I have to mail a package."

Sami turned and pointed to the post office. "It's that way. What are you delivering if you don't mind me asking?"

Arianna wanted to tell Sami to buzz off, but figured since she was EJ's wife, she should play nice. "It's Dario's birthday. I'm sending him a birthday package before his job is finished. He won't get it until he returns from sea though."

"Well, that's good. EJ told me about your mom. How is she doing?" Sami asked wanting to put the past behind them.

Arianna gave Sami a suspicious look as she answered. "She's strong. Trying to hang in there." Arianna could not take the 'friendly' conversation anymore. "Why are you trying? Is this about Rafe?"

Sami gave Arianna an uncomfortable smile. "Well, I'd be lying if I said no. I'm sorry that…"

Arianna looked to the side and interrupted Sami, "Sami, wait. There's something you should know." Arianna put the box she held to the side. "I know that we were never really fans of each other, but I know that what happened to my brother is not your fault. He played you and never cared about you. You were only a job to him and I'm starting to believe our family was just a job to him as well. He played all of us and that is very unfortunate." Arianna picked up the box. "We may never be bffs, but it's not because of Rafe. We're just two strong-willed women who just don't get along like that."

Sami nodded her head. "I guess you are right. Thanks for that. I hope you know I don't hate your family for what Rafe did."

Arianna bit her tongue. "Well, I am glad to hear that. I should take this package, so they'll send it out today. I'm sure I'll see you around again."

"Sure. Don't let me keep you. Take care and I really hope your mother gets better." Sami and Arianna smiled at each other as they walked their separate ways.

* * *

><p><strong>1.22: New Case<strong>  
><em>Tuesday, November 29th, 2011<em>

Bo and Hope arrived at the Salem Police Department to meet with Roman as he had asked them to come down. When they arrived, they found Roman in his office. Bo scratched his nose with his thumb as he spoke, "So you called us in?"

Roman put some files away and stood up. "Well, I called everyone in because it seems we have a problem with bodies disappearing from crime scenes and never making it to the hospital."

Hope perked up. "It happened again?"

Roman nodded his head. "In fact, it's already happened three times." Roman shook his head and put his hands on his hips as he continued, "I don't understand why this is happening. Someone is taking these bodies somewhere before they can be picked up. Well, actually, this last time, someone managed to steal the body while it was route to the morgue."

"What do you think they are doing with these bodies? Do you think someone is selling organs on the black market again?" Hope asked.

"I hope not," Bo responded. "I don't think anyone would be stupid enough to pull that again after what went down last year."

"I'm not ruling out any possibility just yet. I'm sure when we closed that down last year, demand remained the same or went even higher. There's no telling where these bodies are going. We need to find out though." Roman walked over to his door and opened it to see if everyone had arrived for the meeting. "We should head to the conference room." Roman, Bo, and Hope headed out of Roman's office.

* * *

><p><strong>1.23: The Final Countdown<strong>

_Friday, December 2nd, 2011_

At the guys' apartment, Sonny and Will sat in the living room looking through class notes. Will turned to Sonny, "I can't believe next week is dead week and the week after is finals. I hope I can survive the end of my first semester."

Sonny placed his hand on Will's back. "I'm sure you'll be fine. You've managed to stay focused for the most part."

Will sighed. "Thankfully there hasn't been too much drama this semester."

Sonny gave Will a strange look. "So I guess all those things that Chad pulled this semester doesn't count?"

Will pushed Sonny a bit. "There's no drama between Chad and me. Things are great." Will did not want to admit how much Chad hurt him even if it was not on purpose. To prove Sonny wrong, Will thought of a suggestion, "Hey, we should do something tonight. I'll call Chad and see what he's doing." Will pulled his phone out and it began to ring. "Speaking of the devil," Will answered his phone. "Hey Chad."

"Will," Chad said on the other side. "I'm at the school library and it's looking like I am going to be here all night working on this final paper. It's probably best if you don't wait up for me."

Will got up from the couch, so that Sonny could not hear his conversation with Chad. "There's no way you can't just take an hour and hang out with me and Sonny?"

"I don't think so," Chad responded feeling bad for turning down Will's invite. "I need to finish this paper tonight so I have time to study and work on my other finals."

Will frowned, but then heard girls laughing in the background on Chad's side. "Who are you with?"

"Michelle and Beth are here working on their papers as well," Chad answered. "Hey, look, I should get back to my paper so I can come home to you as soon as I'm done. Have fun with Sonny. Bye."

"Bye." Will felt he did not get a chance to respond to anything, but sensed Chad was in a rush. He took a deep breath knowing he could trust Chad. After putting his phone in his pocket, he turned to Sonny.

"Is Chad down on doing something?" Sonny asked.

"Looks like it's just me and you. He's finishing his final paper for Comm. III." Will walked over to Sonny with a smile trying to ignore Chad blowing him off. "So what do you want to do?"

"We could invite Kai and grab a burger at your great-grandmother's pub." Sonny suggested.

"I don't think that's a good idea. You and Kai can't keep your hands off of each other." Will thought about how Caroline still did not know they were gay.

"I was joking about that." Sonny nudged Will. "We could just go to my mom's and get free food there."

"I'll probably leave her a large tip then," Will smiled. "Call Kai so we can go get some grub."

**_Next fic will be posted on December 12th, 2011_**


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